


Redstone Poisoning

by ViolentVioletEye



Category: Hermitcraft, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: I haven't posted on here in so long oh god how do I tag, I wrote this for a friend and she liked it so I'm posting it, Its good to be writing minecraft again, Kingdoms, M/M, Minecraft, No One Dies Promise, Original Sickness, Redstone (Minecraft), kingdom au, these two are so adorable and gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-26 01:37:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21366022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViolentVioletEye/pseuds/ViolentVioletEye
Summary: Working with redstone can have its drawbacks; including in the health department. A seasoned Redstoner like Mumbo is used to this. But his boyfriend is not.{This is my first work that has to do with the Hermitcraft group. My friend Author got me into it and I've been sucked into this hole ever since. This doesn't take place on the Hermitcraft server though, this is more of an AU where all of the Minecraft Youtubers we know and love live in one big Kingdom. I hope you enjoy it! Pls tell me what you think!}
Relationships: Grian/MumboJumbo
Comments: 6
Kudos: 139





	1. The Incident

Mumbo always woke up before Grian. As the Chief Redstoner in the Fallen Kingdom—the name was so misleading because they weren’t fallen, they were one of the largest Kingdoms in the area and Grian felt like they needed a name change—he had many apprentices to lead and associates to keep on track. Mumbo often griped that he was the only thing that kept the Redstone Company running, but Grian knew that he secretly adored it. If there was anything Mumbo loved more than redstone, it was teaching people who were invested in the craft. People came from all over the world to be mentored by him. Grian had his own little company, but it was much less formal. They did have a conference room assigned just for them in Mumbo’s building as they were affiliated with them, but they rarely used it. They often met in Grian and Mumbo’s house so they could discuss what they would be doing that day. He loved his job as Chief Builder just as Mumbo loved his. He taught many bright-eyed kids how to build and, when they had an especially good week, how to prank.

But they often met a few hours after sunrise, while Mumbo got up as soon as the sun rose to continue projects he had going in the company. Grian often woke up when Mumbo was slipping out of bed and getting dressed, and they would share a sleepy kiss while Grian tied his tie for him by memory. He had been doing that long before they were even together when he found out Mumbo wore clip-ons. This day was no different. Grian woke up when Mumbo was reaching over to turn on the light so he wasn’t fumbling around in the dark, and he drifted off for a few minutes before Mumbo came for his kiss—and his tie. Shortly after Grian was dozing off only to find himself uncomfortable on his back. He rolled onto his side, pulling the blanket tighter around him, and that’s when he saw it.

Mumbo’s red shulker box, the one he used for his lunch, forgotten in the corner of the room.

So that’s how Grian found himself up and about, beady-eyed and running on some makeshift coffee he was able to make from cocoa beans. He didn’t want Mumbo to go hungry, especially when he worked around so many dangerous machines. He needed to be on the top of his game. Grian also didn’t want to imagine him being hungry when Grian could have dropped off his lunch. While he probably could have waited a couple of hours, but once his day started he rarely had any free time. Sometimes he didn’t have lunch. Mumbo didn’t know that though.

After strapping on his elytra, he jumped off the roof of their house and took to the sky. If he hadn’t been so tired, he would have been able to appreciate the sight of the waking Kingdom underneath him as the sun rose on the horizon. It was a short flight to the company, and soon the building appeared on the horizon. He had always been proud of that build. It looked modern, which he always struggled with, with its white pillars and curved roof. It was all made out of concrete, which had been very difficult to get. At the end of the day though, it had been worth it. The sign flicked on as he approached, showing him it was open for business. The sign had been Mumbo’s idea, and all of the wirings had been done by him. It had pixel art of a piece of redstone, with the words  _ Architech  _ built in redstone lanterns underneath.

Grian landed easily on the platform in between the two flights of stairs, hurrying up the last one. The guard at the door looked surprised to see him. “Mr. Grain, hello! Is everything alright?” Grian smiled tiredly as the guard opened the door for him.

“Mumbo’s forgotten his lunch,” he said. The guard laughed and Grian smiled a bit wider as he ducked into the building. The guard shut the door carefully behind him. The lobby was Mumbo’s favorite part of the build while Grian didn’t mind it. It was a nice open circle, with the secretary’s desk right in the center. There were a couple of chairs for people who were waiting for their meetings. There wasn’t anyone in the lobby as they had just opened to the public for the day, so Grian made it to the secretary’s desk without any interruptions. It was hard to go out into public now with how much the Kingdom was growing and his name was getting out there. While he didn’t mind making new friends, a lot of them had a job offer and he usually had too much on his plate. Especially now. He needed to finish that church so the King and Queen could officially get married and that blacksmithy for that woman that’s just moved into the Kingdom, his Majesty was talking about building an Orphanage, and—

“Hello, Mr. Grain! Going to see Mr. Mumbo?”

“Yes, he forgot his lunchbox.”

The secretary smiled. She was a friendly young girl named Jaelyn. She had brown hair and hazel eyes, with large circle glasses that took up most of her face. Today she had her hair done up in a bun. She leaned back in her chair to point at a door that was off to the side. “Mr. Mumbo should be in the Testing Room B!” Grian smiled.

“Thanks, Jaelyn!” She waved goodbye as he hurried to the door, pulling the door open and ducking inside before he shut it carefully behind him. The corridor before him was long with white walls and a wooden floor. There were many doors, all branching off into different hallways or rooms. Near the end of the hallway, just before a sharp right turn, he found a door with a sign beside it, labeling as ‘Testing Room B.’ He pushed the door open and found himself in a two by one stairwell leading down. As he walked down the stairs he could hear people talking and the telltale sounds of pistons moving. He approached two iron doors at the very bottom, which opened as his feet touched the pressure plates in front of them.

The testing room was large, using every bit they could underground. Groups were working on different machines all meant for different things. Grian couldn’t tell you what. To him, it just looked like a bunch of circuit boards and redstone dust. Speaking of redstone, the air was heavy with it. He was coughing before he had even taken two steps into the room. People were wearing goggles, visors; some had full masks as they worked deep in the circuits. People were shouting across the room to their partner getting more resources, others were chatting about their friends and families or what to do next for their project. Grian couldn’t imagine working in such a chaotic environment. Despite his prankish natural and messy organization, he valued a quiet workplace above all else. He didn’t even like to play a record while he was working! He couldn’t understand how Mumbo dealt with it! He seemed to adore it, just as long as everything was organized. Grian found him just where he expected to, in the very center of the chaos.

He was talking to one of his apprentices, looking down at a piece of paper where a rough diagram was drawn. Mumbo was pointing at one part when he saw Grian out of the corner of his eye. He recognized that bright red shirt everywhere. He looked up with a delighted smile. “Grian! Hello!” He looked back down at his apprentice. “Try turning down the time on the repeaters. Thank you, Carson.” The apprentice took the paper and walked away to do as Mumbo asked. Mumbo turned his attention to Grian, grinning under his mustache as he walked up to him. “What a pleasant surprise!” Grian smiled as they shared a warm hug. “I’m sure you didn’t stop by just to say hello, though. What is it?” Grian chuckled.

“You know me too well.” He opened his inventory and put the shulker box in his hotbar, letting it appear in his hands before he held it up. Mumbo’s mouth formed an ‘o’ before he checked his inventory. When he saw that his shulker made lunch box wasn’t there, he laughed and took it from him.

“Whoops! I was rushing a bit this morning.” Grian raised an eyebrow and Mumbo grinned. “You make it very hard to pull myself out of bed.” Grian grinned back up at him rather cheekily- as cheekily as he could get so early in the morning. Beside them, a team began to test their machine. There was a dispenser hooked up, facing Mumbo and Grian from the angle they were standing. “Thank you Grian, it would have sucked to go without my lunch!” The leader of the team held up three fingers, counting down from them.

“I know,” Grian smiled. “You’re worth getting up for.” Mumbo laughed as the team leader put down the last finger and one of them flipped the switch. The redstone was activated, glowing and letting off particles, as pistons began to move. One of them looked at the other.

“Hey, you deactivated the dispenser, right?” They blinked back at them before they looked at the dispenser and their eyes widened.

“Well, I should go,” Grian yawned. Mumbo glanced towards the dispenser and paused as he saw the redstone lighting up towards it. His eyes widened. “I need to make myself breakfast and prepare for my own rascals to come and—”

“Sirs, watch out!”

Mumbo was already moving. He shoved himself in front of Grian, shielding him with his arms spread wide. Grian yelped in shock, falling back. At the same time, the dispenser let out a loud, ear screeching churn. A moment later, a thick cloud of redstone dust rushed out of the hole, striking Mumbo right in the face. Mumbo stumbled back, tripping over Grian’s leg so he went crashing to the floor. He coughed up a few clouds of redstone dust as a few people scrambled over at the sound of the commotion. “Mumbo!” Grian shouted, pushing himself up onto his knees so he could wrap his arms around him.

“Oh my god, Mr. Mumbo, I’m so sorry!” The mortified team leader cried as they hurried over. “We thought we disconnected it from the system! It’s faulty, we’ve been waiting for a replacement!” Mumbo coughed into his sleeve, his sides heaving.

“Can we get some water?!” Grian cried, his heart pounding as he saw his boyfriend fighting to breathe. The apprentice from before, Carson, rushed over with a potion bottle filled with water. Mumbo nodded thanks, always so polite, even when he was choking, before he chugged from it. Everyone watched with bated breath as he downed it all in a couple of gulps. He pulled the bottle from his lips carefully, panting for breath. His face was covered in the dust. It was in his hair, his mustache. Grian pulled down the sleeve of his sweater so it was covering his hand before he swiped the fabric over his eyes carefully, clearing them of the dust. Mumbo blinked his eyes opened and glanced around. Suddenly, he smiled and laughed.

“It’s just a bit of redstone, everyone! Don’t look at me like I’m on Death’s Door!”

The atmosphere relaxed immediately and a few people began to laugh. The anxious team leader all but slumped against their friend, boneless from relief. Mumbo stood up with Grian’s help. “Accidents happen!” He smiled. “Shame on me for not having my goggles!” He gestured to his face. “Take this as a lesson everyone! Keep the proper gear on at all times!” He smiled as someone handed him a cloth to wipe his face off. “Thank you, Chantel. Now, everyone! Go on back to work! I’m fine!” The crowd dispersed, chattering and still snickering before they came back to their projects. Mumbo turned to Grian who was staring at him worriedly, wiping at the rest of his face. “Don't worry Grian, that’s a normal occurrence for Redstoners like us!” Grian sighed, relaxing as he was supposedly pacified by his words.

“Are you sure?” He asked. Mumbo nodded with a laugh.

“Yes, yes! Now,” Mumbo suddenly grinned widely, leaning towards him. Bits of redstone was still stuck on his face, many pieces still stuck in his fabulous mustache. “Give me a kiss~"

Grian shrieked and ducked underneath him, slipping past him easily. “I think not! I’ll see you tonight!”

Mumbo’s laughter followed him as he hurried out of the room and up the stairs, and by the time he had left the building any of his worries for what just happened was gone. All he was thinking about now was what he had to build before sundown.


	2. Dinner Talks

Grian sighed in relief as he came home. He decided he would drop everything in his inventory off later, feeling much too exhausted to do it now. It had been a stressful few days since the redstone incident with Mumbo at Architech. He had finally mapped out the cathedral and was working on it with a couple of his apprentices, but they were running into a lot of problems. The hill they cleared ended up having a mine underneath it, so they had to fill in a good portion so people wouldn’t be hearing mobs under the floorboards. Grian still had a feeling it would come to bite him later. Not only that, but they were finding that while most of the things they had planned look good on paper, it didn’t look good in real life. Of course, every build wasn’t perfect. He was just worried. This wasn’t just any build. This wasn’t a market stall or a business for an ordinary person. This was a cathedral the Majesties of the Kingdom had commissioned so they could finally get married!

“Grian, is that you?” Grian’s shoulders lifted at the sound of his lover’s voice. A smile came to his lips before he followed the voice, finding him just where he expected; the kitchen. Mumbo turned and smiled at him widely. “Hey! There you are!” Grian smiled. He already felt better.

“Hey! How was your day, Mumbolio?”

“Oh, just fine!”

The kitchen was warm from Mumbo’s cooking. He often got home before Grian to start on dinner. Grian couldn’t be trusted with fire, especially when it came to the furnace. They claimed to be fireproof, but they weren’t once Grian touched them. Despite never using it, the kitchen was Grian’s pride and joy in the house. It was small but it wasn’t cramped, with oak floors and walls. The counters were spruce and the cauldron was a counter space away from the fridge. Grian remembered trying to build this and how aggravating it had been. It was one of the last things he ended up finishing for the house. He and Mumbo were cooking their things outside, which wasn’t much of a problem as it had been in the middle of spring. They also made friends with their neighbors that way. He ended up getting it right somehow, for the rustic feel Mumbo liked while making it usable. He wondered if it would’ve been better to do birch walls, though...

“Finish any projects?” Grian asked as he set his bag down, sitting on one of the stools in front of their breakfast bar. Mumbo laughed as he turned to face him. His tie was off and so was his jacket, hung up in their bedroom. The white shirt he wore underneath was rolled up to his elbows, revealing his forearms.

“A few! We’re moving onto the next one’s right now, and I’m pretty excited. I’m trying to figure out how to make a moving carriage without any horses since the beasts are so hard to come by around here,” he said as he glanced at the furnace, checking the meat before he looked at Grian. “What about you? How’re your builds? Figured out that cathedral yet? I remember you saying you were going to start it today!” Grian groaned and burrowed his head into his arms.

“It’s so rough!” He claimed. Mumbo coughed into his sleeve but Grian didn’t think anything of it as he continued. “I was thinking sleek iron floors at first, right? But it was clashing with the walls!”

“Well, don’t churches usually have stone floors?” Mumbo smiled.

“Well,  _ yeah.  _ But you know me, Mumbo! I don’t like doing the usual!” Mumbo laughed and looked around their kitchen.

“Yeah, I noticed that pretty quick—” He was cut off by his own cough. It was rougher than last time as he bent over and grabbed the edge of the counter. Grian’s eyes widened and he rushed to his feet, hurrying around the counter.

“M— Mumbo?!” He sprinted around the counter and grabbed his arm. Mumbo grabbed his shoulder as he coughed a few more times before he laughed shakily. He straightened up, pounding his fist against his chest a few times as his body trembled with repressed coughs. He looked down at Grian, covering his mouth with the back of his wrist.

“Sorry!” He finally pushed out. “I seem to have got a tickle in my throat!” He laughed. “You know me and my seasonal allergies! Guess it’s coming a bit early this time!” Grian stared up at him, worrying his bottom lip. Mumbo could tell he wasn’t buying it, so he squeezed his shoulder before he let it go. “It’s fine, really!” He turned to the furnace. “The food’s done! I decided to make one of your favorites; steak and baked potatoes.” Grian brightened a bit at the mention of food, but he still looked worried.

“Mumbo, are you sure you’re okay? That seemed pretty extreme for some seasonal allergies… Maybe you should go see a doctor.” Mumbo smiled at him.

“Nah! I’m fine! Really, Grian.” His tone turned softer as he took in the worried look in Grian's eyes. He hated seeing him like that. “I know what’s going on with my body. This isn’t anything more than some pesky allergies.” Grian relaxed. Mumbo always knew what to say to help him feel better. He was right about the allergies. They always came every year, just as spring was beginning to start. While they had never come this early, he supposed it wouldn’t be unheard of. Maybe it meant they were going to have a better spring than usual! He smiled at the thought and smiled wider when Mumbo smiled in return. “Now, can you go set the table? I didn’t have time to do it myself.”

“Yeah! ‘Course!” Grian opened a nearby chest, retrieving a few things before he left the kitchen to go to the dining room. Mumbo waited a few moments after he had left to make sure he wasn’t returning before he fell back against the counter beside the furnace. His body trembled with repressed coughs while his throat and mouth burned like he had downed a whole jar of pepper. He pulled a handkerchief out from his pocket and tried to cough into it discreetly, but he knew it was a waste of time. He pulled it back from his mouth and winced as he saw the state of it. The once white handkerchief that Chantel had given him after the accident was now covered in splotches of red.

It wasn’t blood. Perhaps someone would think so at first glance, but a master Redstoner like him knew what it really was. It was redstone. He took a deep breath before he pushed it back into his pocket, shoving it down deep so it didn’t fall out. He got himself a large bottle of water before he set about pulling out the food and preparing their plates of food. He would be fine. It would be fine. This had happened before. A few more days and it would be all clear up!

He would be fine.


	3. Crashing and Recovering

When Grian peeled his eyes opened, sunlight was fluttering out from under the curtains on the wall and spraying across the bed. He crinkled his nose, rubbing at it afterward before he sat up. He stretched, a soft sound slipping from his mouth as his bones ached before he paused. Something felt… Wrong. Something felt… Off. It felt like he had forgotten something, but how could he? He had just gotten up! He looked around the room, trying to blink the sleep from his eyes. It wasn’t very difficult. The feeling was chasing away any sleepy content he had been feeling moments ago. What was he missing? He had fed the stray cats in their yard last night and he would have to do it again today, but that was normal. He always did that. It was part of his routine. He had woken around the same time too. It had to be maybe nine, ten o’clock. His apprentices would be showing up in an hour and they would go over what they were doing before heading back to that stupid cathedral—

Wait. This was the first time he had woken up today. Mumbo hadn’t woken him up for their morning kiss and so he could tie his tie! They always did that! That was part of the routine! Grian racked his brain, trying to determine if that was what was wrong. For the life of him, he couldn’t remember if Mumbo had woken him up. Sometimes he woke up by himself when Mumbo would make some noise as he was getting ready; because try as he might it was hard for his taller boyfriend to stay quiet while he was navigating in the dark. If Grian was in a deep enough sleep, Mumbo would gently shake him away to get what he needed. It was just what they did. As Grian thought this over, he turned to get out of bed—only to fall against Mumbo’s sleeping body.

Now the alarm bells were ringing in his head. He pulled back and looked at his boyfriend with wide eyes. He was lying on his side, his bare back to Grian as he slept. His hair was messy from sleep and he barely had any blankets on him. That wasn’t unusual, Grian wasn’t above hogging any blankets, but it looked like it had been a choice from his boyfriend. He had shoved them off of himself, and Grian could see why. There was a coat of sweat on his body, especially on his back. It was beginning to soak into his side of the bed. It was spring! The nights were still cool! Not to mention, the fact that his boyfriend was shirtless was a surprise in of itself. Mumbo hated showing skin. That’s why he wore a suit every single day, no matter the weather!

“Mumbo?” Grian grabbed his shoulder, pushing himself up onto his knees. They pressed against his back and he realized just how much he was covered in sweat. “Mumbo!” He shook his boyfriend, who felt like he weighed like a ton of bricks. His heart dropped and he quickly craned his head around, letting out a strangled sound of relief as he saw he was still breathing. “Mumbo, wake up!” He shook him roughly with both hands and Mumbo finally let out a low groan, stirring. It looked like he tried to open his eyes, but he could barely crack them open. It seemed he was struggling to even keep them open as he turned his head and looked up at his boyfriend, squinting at him from under his eyelashes. “Mumbo, it's— it’s nearly ten o’clock! Are you not going to work?!” Mumbo blinked up at him slowly before he grunted and turned his head away.

“Is it?” He muttered weakly, staring at the wall across from the bed. “No, I guess I’m not.” He slid his eyes shut but Grian shook him again, making him open them with a groan.

“Mumbo, you’re scaring me!” Grian whimpered. His hands were beginning to tremble. Mumbo Jumbo didn’t miss work. Since he had become Chief Redstoner nearly four years ago, he hadn’t missed one day of work. He rarely got sick, and even if he was he’d still go to work without so much as a complaint!

“I’m tired, just, just lemme sleep,” Mumbo muttered.

“Mumbo, are you sick?! Should I get a doctor?!” Mumbo opened his mouth to respond and then stopped. His eyebrows furrowed down before his eyes flew open. They were bloodshot and the pupils were so small they looked almost nonexistent. His body jolted, he shoved himself up, and then he threw up over the edge of the bed. Grian screamed, loud and piercing, as Mumbo vomited up  _ red. _

He yanked himself out of bed. He moved on autopilot as he rushed downstairs and grabbed a bucket from a chest, hurrying back up to find his boyfriend on the floor. His body was shaking like he had been electrocuted, gagging and choking, grabbing at his throat. Grian was sobbing as he shoved the bucket into his chest and then screamed again as Mumbo threw up again, more than last time. It was red and it was liquidy, like water. A cooper scent filled the room and Grian realized that his boyfriend was throwing up  _ blood. _ “Stay here!” He sobbed as he scrambled to his feet. “I’ll get a doctor, I’ll get a doctor!” He rushed down the stairs as Mumbo slumped back against the bed, hunched over the bucket as he continued vomiting.

As for Grian, he stumbled out of their house, still in his pajamas and barefooted. Their neighbors had come out of their house at the sound of his screams. “Grian!” One of them shouted over the fence. “What’s wrong?!”

“Mumbo, he’s—! He’s throwing up blood!” He screamed. Across the road, a figure clad in purple paused in their walk as they stared at him across the street. The figure behind them was clad in sleek diamond armor. “I don’t— I don’t know what’s wrong with him! I need a doctor, I need a doctor!” The neighbors shouted in horror and concern, but before anyone could volunteer to go find one the figure across the street walked briskly across the cobblestone road to his house.

“Grian.” Grian looked up, puppy-brown eyes glassy with his panic and tears. A few neighbors gasped while his eyes widened. His Majesty Seto Sorcerer was the figure in purple, his gloved hands clasped together in front of his stomach as he stared down at Grian with concern. “What is wrong with Mumbo?”

“He’s—” Grian’s voice trembled and he was sobbing all over again, harder than before. “He didn’t wake up to go to work! H-He didn’t wake me up for the kiss or the tie, and, and he— he throwing up blood, your majesty! He’s…!” Seto didn’t need to hear anymore as he walked past him, the end of his robes fluttering after him. The guard in diamond armor followed silently, ushering Grian inside with them. The neighbors crowded out on the yard, whispering to each other worriedly as they debated on what could be going on inside. Had Mumbo been poisoned? He had seemed fine all week!

Inside the house, Grian and the guard stood in the doorway to the bedroom. The guard was holding Grian back as Seto kneeled beside Mumbo, who was lying on his back on the floor. The bucket was beside him with a horrible smell emitting from it. Seto’s eyebrows were furrowed as he cupped Mumbo’s sweaty face in his cool gloved hands, pulling his eye open with his pointer finger and thumb to study his pupils. As he did Mumbo groaned, shaking his head slightly as Seto pulled his hand back. “Your Majesty?” He slurred out before his body shuddered and he jerked back up, grabbing for the bucket. Seto grabbed it readily and held it up, watching him vomit into it with narrowed eyes. After Mumbo was done he reached out and touched his forehead, pushing his bangs back.

“What’s wrong with him?!” Grian sobbed. “Is he dying?!” Seto studied Mumbo for a moment longer before he sighed softly. He looked at Grian and smiled gently.

“No, dear.” He stood and suddenly picked Mumbo up easily, even though the man was certainly taller and heavier than him. He turned and laid him down on the bed, pushing the covers to the headboard at the end. “It’s alright Pewds, let him in.” The guard released Grian, who immediately scrambled over to Mumbo’s bedside, grabbing his boyfriend's hand.

“What’s wrong with him?” He sobbed, clutching Mumbo’s hand to his chest. Mumbo tried to squeeze his hand to comfort him, but it was such a pitiful attempt it made Grian feel worse. “Why is he coughing up blood?!”

“He isn’t coughing up blood, Grian,” Seto informed him gently. “Pewds, can you get some water?” The guard, who Grian finally recognized as Pewdiepie, nodded before he turned and left the room. Seto reached over and placed his hand on Grian’s forearm. “Mumbo isn’t dying, I’m afraid he’s just caught a bad case of Redstone Poisoning.”

“Redstone Poisoning?”

“It’s common for people in the Redstone business, and something tells me that this isn’t the first time for him,” Seto claimed. Mumbo muttered something unintelligently, turning his head towards Grian. He peeled his eyes opened, blinking a few times as he squinted at his boyfriend.

“Why are you crying?” He muttered. Grian whimpered.

“Because you’re sick, idiot!” He looked at Seto. “What was he throwing up then?!” Seto chuckled.

“It wasn’t blood. It was pieces of redstone with some spit and phlegm. It looks like it was a pretty hefty back up that finally broke loose.” He looked down at Mumbo. “That can usually be avoided with some rest and a lot of water, but something tells me Mumbo didn’t tell you that he was sick.” Grian whimpered.

“I didn’t notice, I didn’t…” Seto squeezed his forearm before he pulled his hand back.

“Don’t feel bad, my dear. There really aren’t any outward signs of Redstone Poisoning aside from coughing up redstone, and that’s something that can be hidden.”

“Mumbo,” Grian whimpered. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Didn’t wanna worry you,” Mumbo slurred out, coughing roughly afterward. “You got enough going on, with the… the cathed—”

“Do I take him to a doctor?” Grian said hurriedly, cringing instead as he noticed Seto certainly hadn’t missed the cathedral comment. But Seto only smiled and shook his head.

“No.” Pewds entered with a glass of water, handing it off to Seto who got Mumbo to sit up. He coaxed him into drinking from the glass and Grian quickly took over, holding the cup for him so Seto had his hands free once more. “Just have him drink plenty of water. Stay with him. If he vomits, just let him. It’s a way for him to get the redstone out. Redstone poisoning can be concerning for a first-timer, but this certainly isn’t Mumbo’s first time.” He looked down at Mumbo. “Let’s take this as a lesson to always let your loved ones know when you’re sick, yes?”

Mumbo groaned in reply and Grian let himself smile shakily. He looked at Seto and it faltered. “I’m— I’m sorry to have bothered you over this, your majesty,” he whispered as he suddenly felt sheepish. Seto was a busy man, being one of the two leaders of their Kingdom. Somehow he always made time to be with his people while his husband-to-be worked on things behind the scenes, making him beloved and trusted among the civilians of all social statues. Grian felt bad—ashamed—for pulling him away from a peaceful walk for something that hadn’t even been anything life-threatening. But Seto only smiled at him, brown eyes twinkling.

“Oh, don’t feel sorry. I’m just glad I could be here to help!” He looked down at Mumbo, who was holding his glass by himself and sipping the water left inside of it slowly. “I’ll leave you two now, I’m just a letter away if you get concerned about something! I’ll be sure to inform your apprentices and associates that you won’t be coming into work today.” He turned and walked to the door where Pewds was waiting for him. “Get well soon, Mumbo!”

Mumbo muttered something in reply as Grian stroked his hair with a trembling hand.

“Goodbye, your majesty,” Grian whispered, kissing Mumbo’s forehead. “God, Mumbo,” he whimpered, “I’m going to kill you once you’re lucid again.”

Mumbo woke up slowly. His head was still foggy from his sickness, but not nearly as much as it had been before. After a couple of moments, he mentally dragged himself up, shaking the cobwebs out from the corners of his mind. He shifted and grunted as his sore muscles ached. His throat hurt, but it wasn’t burning like it had been the past few days. He pulled his eyes opened, squinting in the dim room. The only light they had was coming through the skylight above their bed, moonlight coming from the half-moon in the sky. He was shirtless and the room was chilly, though he saw why when he realized one of their windows was open. There was a warm shape curled into his side and he didn’t have to look to know what it was, but he still did.

Grian was curled into him, fast asleep with his hand pressed against Mumbo’s bare chest. His soft brown hair covered his eyes and it looked like he hadn’t slept in some time, judging by the black bags underneath his eyes. Mumbo reached down and touched his cheek before brushing his hair back from his face. He knew how much he hated it, he often had to pin it back with bobby pins when he was building high up and it was windy. Grian stirred and, to Mumbo’s surprise, fluttered his eyes opened without much difficulty. Grian blinked up at him before his eyes widened, pushing himself up. “You’re awake!” He declared, a smile coming to his lips. Mumbo smiled back, opening his mouth to speak but all that came out was a cough. Grian’s smile faltered before he grabbed a large cup of water from his bedside, handing it off to Mumbo who nodded his thanks before he drank from it. Grian watched him anxiously, worrying his bottom lip before Mumbo lowered the glass from his lips with a sigh.

“Sorry.” His voice was hoarse. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Since Friday, and it’s Sunday night now,” Grian whispered. “The doctor said once you woke up, and was lucid, for more than a couple of minutes you could go back to work after another day of rest.”

“Well,” Mumbo smiled. “I feel pretty good. You must be a pretty good nurse.” Grian rolled his eyes and smacked his shoulder playfully, taking the cup to put it back on the nightstand.

“Enough jokes,” Grian huffed. “You scared me.” Mumbo’s eyes softened. Though he wasn’t sure about the past few days, he could remember Friday morning enough.

“I’m sorry, Grian,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean for it to get that bad.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?!” Grian whined. “You could have rested more! I would have made dinner!” Mumbo crinkled his nose.

“Oh, I don’t think so.” Grian scoffed and Mumbo softened. He reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it carefully.

“I’ve gotten Redstone Poisoning about five times this year alone,” he said simply. “Usually, I can just power through it.”

“Well.” Grian pressed his hands against his chest. The sleeves of his wool sweater felt warm against his cool skin. “No more. Okay? When one of us is coming down with something, no matter what it is, we tell the other one.” Mumbo chuckled.

“Alright,” he whispered.

“Promise me, Mumbo. Promise you’ll tell me.”

“I promise.” Mumbo took one of his hands and pushed the sleeve up so he could kiss his hand. “Now come on, let’s get back to sleep. You look exhausted.” Grian didn’t fight him, leaning against his chest as they laid back in bed. Mumbo ran his hand up and down his arm in the way he knew he liked, staring down at him as Grian got comfortable. Grian lifted his eyes and caught him staring, staring back before he smiled a bit.

“What?” He whispered. Mumbo smiled.

“I’m just remembering how much I love you,” he whispered. Grian blushed. “And how lucky of a man I am.” Grian blushed brighter, dropping his eyes as he covered his face.

“Stooop,” he whined and Mumbo chuckled, wrapping his other arm around him to pull him close.

“You’re my antidote~” He cooed. Grian groaned, smacking his back.

“Now you’re just being corny!” He could hear Grian’s smile. “Go to sleep!” Mumbo laughed against his shoulder, the sound rumbling through both of their bodies as Grian wrapped his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist, essentially koalaing himself to his lover. Mumbo squeezed him before he kissed the place behind his ear.

“I love you,” he muttered. Grian shivered and squeezed him tighter, shutting his eyes.

“I love you too.”

And with that, the two fell fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end! I'm pretty happy with it. I'll probably be doing more with this AU, so be sure to check out my profile!


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